Max Lucado Daily: CONTINGENT OF FAITH
John chapter 4 in verse 47 describes a father who had a sick son: “He went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.” Straightforward, urgent. The official had a request and a plan of action. In his mind, the two would walk side by side from Cana to Capernaum.
The response of Christ surprises us. “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders” (John 4:48)? He waved a caution flag against a contingent faith that says I will believe if… or I will believe when… Then Jesus told the father, “Go back home. Your son will live” (John 4:50). This was the moment of truth for the father, the moment he set out on the longest walk. The man believed in the spoken word of Christ. Now you do the same. Remember, friends, you are never alone.
Hebrews 8
A New Plan with Israel
In essence, we have just such a high priest: authoritative right alongside God, conducting worship in the one true sanctuary built by God.
3-5 The assigned task of a high priest is to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and it’s no different with the priesthood of Jesus. If he were limited to earth, he wouldn’t even be a priest. We wouldn’t need him since there are plenty of priests who offer the gifts designated in the law. These priests provide only a hint of what goes on in the true sanctuary of heaven, which Moses caught a glimpse of as he was about to set up the tent-shrine. It was then that God said, “Be careful to do it exactly as you saw it on the Mountain.”
6-13 But Jesus’ priestly work far surpasses what these other priests do, since he’s working from a far better plan. If the first plan—the old covenant—had worked out, a second wouldn’t have been needed. But we know the first was found wanting, because God said,
Heads up! The days are coming
when I’ll set up a new plan
for dealing with Israel and Judah.
I’ll throw out the old plan
I set up with their ancestors
when I led them by the hand out of Egypt.
They didn’t keep their part of the bargain,
so I looked away and let it go.
This new plan I’m making with Israel
isn’t going to be written on paper,
isn’t going to be chiseled in stone;
This time I’m writing out the plan in them,
carving it on the lining of their hearts.
I’ll be their God,
they’ll be my people.
They won’t go to school to learn about me,
or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons.
They’ll all get to know me firsthand,
the little and the big, the small and the great.
They’ll get to know me by being kindly forgiven,
with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean.
By coming up with a new plan, a new covenant between God and his people, God put the old plan on the shelf. And there it stays, gathering dust.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Psalm 119:97–104
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Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
98 Your commands are always with me
and make me wiser than my enemies.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.
101 I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.
102 I have not departed from your laws,
for you yourself have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path.
Insight
In Psalm 119:97–104, the word meditate is used twice (vv. 97, 99). English translations of the Hebrew root word include talk, pray, speak, complain, and meditate. What’s in view when this word is translated “meditate” or “meditation” is “talking to oneself,” with God’s Word being the subject of the conversation (see Psalm 119:15, 23, 48, 78, 148). We see the idea of ruminating over and pondering on the Scriptures in our hearts and minds in the following verses as well: “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night” (Joshua 1:8). “Blessed is the one . . . whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night” (Psalm 1:1–2).
Eyes to See
Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. Psalm 119:18
I recently discovered the wonder of anamorphic art. Appearing at first as an assortment of random parts, an anamorphic sculpture only makes sense when viewed from the correct angle. In one piece, a series of vertical poles align to reveal a famous leader’s face. In another, a mass of cable becomes the outline of an elephant. Another artwork, made of hundreds of black dots suspended by wire, becomes a woman’s eye when seen correctly. The key to anamorphic art is viewing it from different angles until its meaning is revealed.
With thousands of verses of history, poetry, and more, the Bible can sometimes be hard to understand. But Scripture itself tells us how to unlock its meaning. Treat it like an anamorphic sculpture: view it from different angles and meditate on it deeply.
Christ’s parables work this way. Those who care enough to ponder them gain “eyes to see” their meaning (Matthew 13:10–16). Paul told Timothy to “reflect” on his words so God would give him insight (2 Timothy 2:7). And the repeated refrain of Psalm 119 is how meditating on Scripture brings wisdom and insight, opening our eyes to see its meaning (119:18, 97–99).
How about pondering a single parable for a week or reading a gospel in one sitting? Spend some time viewing a verse from all angles. Go deep. Biblical insight comes from meditating on Scripture, not just reading it.
Oh, God, give us eyes to see. By: Sheridan Voysey
Reflect & Pray
What do you think the difference is between reading Scripture and meditating on it? How will you spend time meditating on today’s verse?
God, open my eyes to see each wonderful thing within the Scriptures. Guide me down the paths connecting each one.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
The Awareness of the Call
…for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! —1 Corinthians 9:16
We are inclined to forget the deeply spiritual and supernatural touch of God. If you are able to tell exactly where you were when you received the call of God and can explain all about it, I question whether you have truly been called. The call of God does not come like that; it is much more supernatural. The realization of the call in a person’s life may come like a clap of thunder or it may dawn gradually. But however quickly or slowly this awareness comes, it is always accompanied with an undercurrent of the supernatural— something that is inexpressible and produces a “glow.” At any moment the sudden awareness of this incalculable, supernatural, surprising call that has taken hold of your life may break through— “I chose you…” (John 15:16). The call of God has nothing to do with salvation and sanctification. You are not called to preach the gospel because you are sanctified; the call to preach the gospel is infinitely different. Paul describes it as a compulsion that was placed upon him.
If you have ignored, and thereby removed, the great supernatural call of God in your life, take a review of your circumstances. See where you have put your own ideas of service or your particular abilities ahead of the call of God. Paul said, “…woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” He had become aware of the call of God, and his compulsion to “preach the gospel” was so strong that nothing else was any longer even a competitor for his strength.
If a man or woman is called of God, it doesn’t matter how difficult the circumstances may be. God orchestrates every force at work for His purpose in the end. If you will agree with God’s purpose, He will bring not only your conscious level but also all the deeper levels of your life, which you yourself cannot reach, into perfect harmony.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
To read the Bible according to God’s providential order in your circumstances is the only way to read it, viz., in the blood and passion of personal life. Disciples Indeed, 387 R
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 7-8; Ephesians 2
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Churches, Christians and Other Hang-ups - #8797
Don't you love it with today's technology we can record a TV program and fast-forward past the commercials to get to the program. With the sorry state of a lot of shows today, it might be smarter to fast forward past the program and maybe watch the commercials. A lot of them are more entertaining than the show they're part of! There's one I saw years ago that was a little strange, but I obviously still remember it. It was advertising a particular pain reliever. They started their fairly annoying advertisement for the product, and then they suddenly interrupted it for this one aggravated person looking in the camera. They had this great line, addressed to the company whose product was being advertised: "I hate your commercials, but I love your product!"
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Churches, Christians and Other Hang-ups."
I have to be brutally honest with you about this Christian thing. A lot of people really don't like our commercials. The advertisements for Jesus are the people who claim to follow Him - like me; the churches and organizations that claim to operate in His name. And maybe your experiences with Christians and Christianity have caused you to say, "I hate your commercials." There are many bright and attractive representatives of Jesus, to be sure, but there are also a lot who don't represent Him very well.
My appeal to you is this: Don't miss the product just because you don't like the "commercials." The issue is, in the Bible's words, "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). Jesus and the cross where He died for you.
There's a great story in the Bible about Jesus that makes the point very well. Let me just let the story speak for itself. It's in Mark 2, beginning with verse 1, and it's our word for today from the Word of God. "When Jesus entered Capernaum, the people heard that He had come home. So many gathered there was no room left, even outside the door, and He preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven'...He said to the paralytic then...'Get up, take up your mat and go home.' He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all."
Here's a man whose only hope was Jesus, but there were all these people and obstacles between him and Jesus. They could have turned away, and this man would have never experienced the healing and forgiving touch of Jesus. But they didn't let the hindrances stop them. He got to Jesus, no matter what it took, and he was healed.
That can be you, if you'll look past the disappointing commercials - beyond Christians, and beyond church - and just look at Christ. He said, "Follow Me," so it's all about Jesus. He didn't say follow My followers or follow My religion or my leaders. He said, "Follow Me." So don't let bad commercials make you miss the product. He's the only man who loved you enough to die for every sin you've ever committed, the only man who was willing and able to go through our hell so we could have His heaven, the only man in history powerful enough to beat death by walking out of His grave under His own power. There's nothing not to love about this man. And this man is who you have to decide about. The hypocrites, the poor examples, the mistakes Christians make; none of those have a thing to do with where you will spend eternity. It is all about Jesus...now and forever.
And today this Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart, giving you an opportunity to find what you've been looking for your whole life. His "product" is eternal life. And only He can provide it, because He's the only One who could pay for it with His life, and He did.
This could be your Jesus-day by reaching out to Him in your heart and just saying, "Jesus, I've missed You all these years, but I'm wanting You now. I need You. You're my only hope of knowing God and having my sins forgiven, and going to heaven. Jesus, I'm Yours."
Man, I'd love to help you get this settled. That's really what our website is all about. It's called ANewStory.com. I hope you will check it out. Take that step - ANewStory.com.
There will be one question on God's final exam for you one day: "What did you do with Jesus?"
From my daily reading of the bible, Our Daily Bread Devotionals, My Utmost for His Highest and Ron Hutchcraft "A Word with You" and occasionally others.